Belt-tightener



(No Model.)

G. E. TRAVIS. BELT TIGHTENER.

Patented May 4, 1897.

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BELT-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,793, dated May 4,1897. Application filed June 5, 1896. Serial No. 594,425. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. TRAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Palatine, in the county of Putnam and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBelt-Tighteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to means for moving traction-engines for thepurpose of tightening the belts connecting; them with threshingmachines,separators, and other machinery driven thereby.

As is well known to those familiar with threshing and other machinesoperated by portable engines, the belt connecting the same by which themachine is driven soon becomes loose and sags, so as not to properlyperform its work.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means whereby theengine may be moved a slight distance away from the machine, so as totake up the slack of the belt and thus tighten the same without stoppingthe operation of the engine or machine.

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination, with a coggedidler-wheel journaled to the engine boiler or frame and meshing with acog-wheel by which the engine is propelled, of a lever fulcrumed to somestationary part of the engine, boiler, or frame provided with a dogpivoted thereto and a pawl for holding the idler against backwardmovement.

It also consists in certain minor details of construction andcombinations of parts which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portionof a portable engine with my improvements applied thereto, showing theengine connected by a belt with a threshing or other machine. Fig. 2 isan elevation on an enlarged scale showing my i mprovem ents.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates a cog-wheeladapted to be driven by the engine for driving the wheels by which theengine is propelled.

I will here say that my invention is applicable to any traction-euginewhich is propelled by cog-gearing, and that the location of said gearingis immaterial.

Journaled to the boiler of the engine is an idler cog-wheel 2, whichmeshes with the cogwheel 1. Secured to the boiler is a bracket 3, towhich is fulcrumed, near one end, a lever at, having pivoted thereto agravity-dog 5, which engages with said idler. This dog moves with thelever when the latter is oscillated. Pivoted to the fulcrum of the leveris a pawl 6, also adapted to engage with said idler to prevent backwardmovement thereof, but which is not connected with the lever andtherefore does not move with it. The upper ends of the said dog and pawlare curved or rounded and are formed with slot-s, (see Fig. 2,) withwhich engage the pivots thereof. The object of this construction is toenable the dog and pawl to be readily slipped off the pivots when notdesired to use the same. Pins 7, secured to the lever, are provided forthe purpose of holding the dog and pawl in place. At its outer end thelever is provided with a finger 8, adapted to engage with theidler-wheel, so as to relieve the pawl from the pressure thereof when itis desired to remove the pawl, as hereinafter described.

The operation is as follows: lVhen the engine is being propelled, thedog and pawl are removed from the lever and the idler will be free tomove or rotate, so as not to interfere with the driving mechanism.WVhen, how ever, the engine is connected with a threshing or othermachine, the dog and pawl are connected with the lever, so that theywill engage with the idler.

To move the engine away from the machine, the long arm of the lever isdepressed, when the dog thereof will move the idler the distance of onetooth, the pivoted pawl also engaging with the idler to hold it againstbackward movement. The movement of the idler will be transmitted to thedriving wheels through the cogwheel 1 and connections. If such movementof the lever is not sufficient to move the engine the proper distance,the lever is elevated and the operation repeated. It will thus be seenthat the dog and pawl engage alternately with the teeth of the idler,the pawl only being disengaged therefrom when the dog is moving thesame, thus rendering the backward movement of the idler impossible. Torelieve the pawl from the pressure of theidler, so that it can beremoved from its pivot, the finger at the outer end of the lever isengaged with one of the teeth of the idler by an upward movement of thelever. (See Fig. 2.) Astill further movement of the lever will move theidler a sufficient distance to allow disengagement therefrom of thepawl, when the latter can be readily removed from its pivot.

From the above it will be seen that the belt can be tightened by themovement of the engine without stopping the operation thereof or of themachine connected therewith.

\Vhile I have described the invention as being applied totraction-engines, it is obvious that it can be used in connection withany portable engine by supplying the latter with a pinion on one of theaxles and a cog-wheel meshing therewith, with which the idler engages.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- Thecombination with the idler cog-Wheel, of the lever having a finger atone end, the dog having a rounded head with a slot therein pivoted tosaid lever, the pawl having a slotted rounded head, and theretaining-pins secured to said lever and bearing against said roundedheads, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE E. TRAVIS.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES A. MoNABB, JOHN M. MoNABB.

